Android Hack: More On The Pin Number Extortionists

Thanks to recent security advances for PC’s, hackers are starting to break into cell phones instead. Mobile devices, especially those running Android, are much more prone to attacks thanks to an unregulated Google Store in which any person can upload any application.

What about iPhones? The Apple store ecosystem is controlled entirely by Apple, but the Google Store is much more of an open-sourced environment. Criminals have taken advantage of this hole in the Google Store to upload apps filled with malware. In short, the malware takes control of the users’ phone and sets a new pin that neither the hackers or the end users can solve.

That one is called Lockerpin, and it displays a message saying the owner must pay $500, or else they won’t get the proper pin number back. Now, this is bogus because the hacker doesn’t even know the pin, but it’s a way to sucker people in to sending money or resetting their phone entirely.

Other harmful apps can work in the background to steal address books, emails, and even take control of the phone itself as well.

With that said, there is a way for users to protect themselves. By sticking with regular apps from trusted sources like NBC, or CNN, users will never experience this particular problem. But when owners start to dig deep into the app store itself, that could put them at risk to download a less-trusted application.